Annoying Internet plans in hotels that cap the downloads

[superpang]

Can we get a list of hotels that have these ridicules internet plans.

I'm sorry but we live in the world where the internet is king and the below plans are horrible.

I work for a company in France and always work from my hotel room constantly sending files back and forth. These types of plans totally ruin my day....the worst thing is I've only ever seen them in Australia and New Zealand.

I'm happy to pay for internet in my room but $27.50 for 100MB I mean seriously whats the point that's like a few photos, let alone sending an powerpoint presentation to client!!

I think I'm going to have check this before booking a place, cos I've had it in my last three hotels. (Novatel Brisbane, Crowne Plaza Auckland and now at the Sofitel in Sydney!!)

Does anyone else find these plans highly annoying!?!

 

[markis10]

Australia and New Zealand ISPs have bandwidth costs that are not payable elsewhere, if you are staying in hotel often enough then a $29 telstra dongle form Officeworks with 2Gb for a month should suffice.

 

[elbarto]

I have a netcomm myzone as I find this to be better value than hotel internet. Its really only as good as the 3g signal, but it seems pretty versatile and can have multiple devices connected up. My partner and I usually have our ipads and phones connected up to it. You can get it on dodo prepaid and the credit seems to last for a while. I bought mine in december last year and used it heavily in Jan when I ADSL stopped working and haven't topped it up once yet.

 

[moa999]

My TPG SuperValue mobile plan with 1.5gb tethered from bb to laptop does it for me.
If you work from hotels often enough bring your own 3g

 

[anat0l]

Yes I find these very annoying.

Generally, the IHG group has these kinds of plans. They suck.

Hilton, on the other hand, IME do not have data caps. At $29.00 per day, that's reasonable in terms of pay-Internet, with good speed, too.

Hotels in NZ are a different breed -most have per hour charging only (cf. full day plans) and most are bandwidth limited. Best to do your homework in advance. Or have status (Hilton or SPG only).

As others have said, if you do it often enough, you're better off getting a mobile broadband modem and plan. Much cheaper.



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Aust Freq Fly app: bringing this anat0l content to your mobile.

 

[straitman]

Very annoying.

Novotel AKL airport also has the 100 Mb limit.

 

[Hvr]

I got badly caught in Darwin at the IHG a while ago and got a huge bill (>$100). Never again, Hilton now gets a lot of my business and I also carry my own dongle.

 

[Ewing]

Does anyone else find these plans highly annoying!?!

Yes, but that's why I no longer use hotel Internet.

When in Australia I use my mobile phone's 3G hotspot and suck up the 2.5GB that I have on my phone.

When in New Zealand (my most frequented place outside Australia) I have a local SIM. When I visit I add a NZ$20 for 1GB data pack to the phone which lasts 30 days.

Every other country I frequent has reasonable (or free) in room Internet so it's never an issue

 

[superpang]

Yes free internet there seems to be a trend in the rest of the world to offer it as "free" extra.

I totally forgot about dongles and all that as I mainly work overseas where hotel internet is not so stingy.

 

[simongr]

I have only found it in NZ and was thoroughly unimpressed.

 

[TonyHancock]

I have found it at IHG hotels and it is really annoying when I am video conferencing with colleagues in the UK. :evil:

 

[Mal]

Like others i use 3g mifi. Simple.

I believe most hotels in Australia are locked into a data agreement with suppliers. So doubt expect things to change quickly...

Sent from my GT-I9100 using AustFreqFly

 

[amaroo]

Versace on the GC is ridiculous, if you want to use a cable connection it's free but if you want wireless it's $20 per day & someone from IT has to come up to your room to set up the equipment Wireless is free in the lobby:!: Can't recall the cap limit.

The place is the pits & only stay there once a year due to a particular conference. The only decent thing about the joint is it's proximity to some decent restaurants in Marina Mirage.

 

[Grooba]

The 3 main players in the .au and .nz markets are Reivernet, Docomo and Movielink.
Most Reivernet/Docomo enabled hotels all throttle you after a useless amount of MB.
Most Movielink enabled hotels (every one that I know of anyway) do not throttle at all, so the $29.95 daily rate is exactly that, unlimited data for the 24 hour plan.

 

[drivatruk]

i just connect to the iPhone when I'm in oz and use it for the modem. i get 1 gig a month on my plan and works fine for a in hotel. in fact its awesome cause it connects vis bluetooth so the phone just sits on the bench or in my pocket and does the magic connection from there.

 

[seanpodge]

Hilton, on the other hand, IME do not have data caps. At $29.00 per day, that's reasonable in terms of pay-Internet, with good speed, too.

I stayed a night in a small hotel in Shanghai for 130 yuan (about $20) that had unlimited internet at no extra charge. That's reasonable.

 

[rechoboam]

Yes I find these very annoying.

Generally, the IHG group has these kinds of plans. They suck.

Hilton, on the other hand, IME do not have data caps. At $29.00 per day, that's reasonable in terms of pay-Internet, with good speed, too.

Hotels in NZ are a different breed -most have per hour charging only (cf. full day plans) and most are bandwidth limited. Best to do your homework in advance. Or have status (Hilton or SPG only).

As others have said, if you do it often enough, you're better off getting a mobile broadband modem and plan. Much cheaper.



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Aust Freq Fly app: bringing this anat0l content to your mobile.

29/day is reasonable? You have got to be joking.

In the US I walked 50m down the road and bought a one-month plan for that much.

 

[markis10]

29/day is reasonable? You have got to be joking.

In the US I walked 50m down the road and bought a one-month plan for that much.

US does not have the same data costs as Australia, so comms comparisons are difficult, of course there is also the minor difference in market size as well, along with there being very few backhaul options for competition.

 

[anat0l]

29/day is reasonable? You have got to be joking.

In the US I walked 50m down the road and bought a one-month plan for that much.

In Australia / NZ it's certainly not too bad.

Notwithstanding getting prepaid mobile broadband, the only other alternatives are internet cafes, which typically charge $3.50 - $4.00 an hour, and you have to be at the cafe.

Apart from 'free', not sure of better internet rates at chain hotels (or even minor chain hotels) in Australia / NZ for the same quality of product.


Of course your comparison is the US, where every citizen thinks free internet (correction: free wifi) is a God-given right enshrined in constitution and Human Rights.

 

[seanpodge]

This tread reminds me why the only domestic travelling in Australia I would do would involve a tent.